Kago Kazunari
Kago Kazunari is the thirteenth seat of the First Division. Story Appearing in Rukongai, the lost and confused Kago was forced to wander the streets alone. Many years later, he was taken in by an older man named Yujo after collapsing from hunger. The old man recognized this as a sign of one with a strong reiatsu signature and began instructing him on the ways of the sword and philosophies of the world. Once the emerald eyed youth was prepared for the hardships that came with being a shinigami, Yujo helped him apply for the academy, which he was accepted into on the first attempt. After graduating from the academy, he was immediately welcomed into the thirteenth division of the Gotei with open arms. There he made many strong bonds with his fellow division members. Regrettably, his entrance was quickly followed by orders to prepare for war. Shortly after, the thirteenth division, alongside the entire Gotei, went to war against the Sine Qua Non and Hollow forces. Many men were lost in their cause, including their captain Saiyoisen. With the fall of the captain in the assault, the division was left in the hands of its third seat Kazuta Takahashi. Seeing a need in leadership within the Gotei and striving to prove himself, Kago applied for the first division. During the grueling test, he failed to make the correct decisions at every turn. His only saving grace came when he made the wise choice to retreat. It was because of this decision that Faust permitted him to enter the first division as the thirteenth seat. Shortly after joining the first, Kago met with the captain commander so that he may evaluate his combative prowess and instruct him on better tactics. With much training required and Faust having little time, he was ordered to seek out the training of the various captains of the Gotei. Finding a suitable time to meet with them proved to be difficult. Eventually, the youth was able to catch up with the third division captain Ritoru Furousha. Kago was able to learn the secrets of the technique “Reverse Slipstream” from the captain and also meet his sixth seat Teishou Okaeshin. Additionally, he met with the fourth division captain Moira Murray. While training, her actions towards Kago were harsh and unwelcomed. This left him with a disdainful impression of the healer and an immense desire to survive against stronger opponents. Before he had the chance to meet up with any other captains, Kago was pitted against the captain of the eleventh division in the Seireitei Tournament. Knowing that he was no match for the legendary swordsman Leon Simeon, the emerald eyed shinigami learned all he could from him. The philosophies and lessons learned provided the template for Kago’s new outlook on life. After his recuperation, he quickly learned that his girlfriend, Yamada Rika, was killed by his enemy Naitou Shigure. Seeking assistance from his best friend Saruwatari Takumi and his good friend Bayushi Shoju, his team headed out to seek vengeance for Rika’s death. Many twists and revelations later, the deed was done, leaving Kago crushed. It took some time before he started recovering from the actions of that fateful day. During his time in solitude, Kago began rethinking the way he viewed the world around him. He came to many conclusions about his pas encounters and formed a new philosophy to live by. As soon as Kago was prepared to face the world again, he was summoned to a training session with the entire third division by their captain. Appearence Standing at 5'11" and weighing 165 pounds, Kago appears no taller than any average male. The shinigami keeps his light brown hair cut just shy of his shoulders and allows it to grow in its own natural direction (slightly outward). His face is elongated and kept clean shaven. He has piercing emerald eyes, which have been known to soothe pure souls and to frighten the immoral souls. While wearing his shinigami attire, he appears to be slender and flexible; however, underneath his clothes lies a muscularly built body. His body contains minimal scars due to his ingenious ways of escaping most fights. Although the balanced shinigami believes that the body is perfect in its untainted form, he has the Japanese symbol Gi (rectitude) tattooed on the back of his left hand. This symbol serves as a reminder to take the righteous path, even when it is the most difficult one. Instead of the traditional white sash as a belt, Kago wears a silver sash tied in a beautiful, yet simple knot. Persona Upon graduation from the academy, Kago was a wide eyed, idealistic shinigami who only desired to be great and do incredible deeds for the world of the living. Always courteous and respectful to those around him, he saw the world for all the righteousness that was in it and that good could be done for it. Unfortunately, the world of a shinigami and warrior was not a flowery path for the youth. The road his life led him down brought much despair and hardship into his life. Despite the reality of the world smacking him in the face, Kago continued to hold strongly onto his dream for a better world. His methods, however, for obtaining it changed. Recognizing the true evil at work in world, he started seeking ways to rid the world of its evil in order to create a more perfect world. Through information and experiences with other beings, Kago has formed biases against the other spiritual beings of the world. Advent Humans and Quincies are human souls that should not be involved with the affairs of otherworldly beings; their abilities, although not tainted, should not exist in his opinion. In addition, both Hollows and Vizards call forth pain and suffering as a source of their power and represent all that Kago seeks to destroy in the world. As such, he views both their kinds as tainted and expresses a burning hatred for them. However, none of these groups can compare to the revulsion he has for rogue shinigami. These individuals have turned their backs on their calling to protect the innocent souls and refuse to bring them to the afterlife. By doing such, they use the powers of the shinigami for their own benefit. Kago feels that this is a slight against God himself; twisting and manipulating something pure for one’s own, selfish benefit is the representation of all that is tainted. This disgust also extends to those shinigami still in service of the Gotei who use their abilities for themselves. Knowing that his dream cannot come to life without action, Kago is in a constant state of motion. Whether it is honing his skills, learning and developing new ideas for tactics, or researching more about his adversaries, he is constantly on the move. Due to his ideals, Kago is known as a somewhat judgmental person, tending to not to hold his tongue even when standing before captains. As such, Kago is quick to condemn others. This concept stems from his desire to root out the source of the problem before it has time to grow and spread. Zanpakutou Sealed Form Kago's zanpakutou resembles the traditional katana except it measures only 70 cm. His tsuba is midnight black in color and the tsuka, the handle, is emerald. Kago himself etched the saying "Love is God's ultimate expression of creativity and beauty" into the ridge of the tsuba. Spirit Name: Hishou Masurao Forms: Hishou has appeared in two different forms to Kago: one is that of a peregrin falcon, and the other is that of a ancient military leader. Shikai Form: After speaking the release command, Kago’s zanpakutou glows an emerald color and transforms into the form of a jian. The hilt of zanpakutou is emerald while the guard is midnight black. The length of the blade is just slightly shorter than the normal length of a jian for quicker strikes and more agile movements. Ability: Tojikomemasu (Sealing/Lockdown) The moment that his released blade makes contact with an opponent’s shikai, Kago can expend 5% of his opponent’s connection to revert the zanpakutou back to its unreleased state. This effect only lasts for 3 rounds and cannot be used against an adversary’s bankai form. Additionally, if the shikai has no tangible form, the same effect may be applied by striking the opponent’s body. Seeing that this ability is based on the connection a shinigami has with his/her zanpakutou, this ability can also be used against vizards by following the same rules. The only difference, however, is that if the vizard is masked, Tojikomemasu is rendered ineffective. In addition, any vizard can bypass the 3 round limitation by calling upon his mask and then releasing his shikai form. Bankai Waiting for approval... Gallery Category:Shinigami Category:First Division Category:Bankai Users